flu vaccine

Hillsborough County health officials report today that the number of laboratory confirmed influenza cases reported by health practitioners remains high in the county. During this flu season, 30 outbreaks have been recorded including nine outbreaks of influenza were reported in child care facilities/school and two in long-term care facilities (LTCF). OneContinue Reading

The USF College of Public Health’s (COPH) online master of public health program has been ranked number one on the list of the top 50 best online MPH programs across the country, according to the Master’s Programs Guide. With no less than seven distinct online MPH degree specializations available through the USF College of PublicContinue Reading

stethoscope

Doctors are encouraging parents to better understand the mental health risks associated with children and adolescents diagnosed with scoliosis. In addition to physical pain and discomfort, having an abnormality like scoliosis at a sensitive age can take an emotional toll. Some effects of scoliosis include relationship issues, low self-esteem andContinue Reading

Stem cell transplants can cure patients with high-risk leukemia or lymphoma.  Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a potentially life-threatening side effect that occurs when the donor’s immune cells attack the recipient’s normal tissues. Moffitt Cancer Center researchers are trying to identify new drug targets to reduce the risk of GVHD. Their new study, publishedContinue Reading

It demonstrated these capabilities by meeting the comprehensive preparedness benchmarks required by Project Public Health Ready (PPHR), a unique partnership between NACCHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. DOH-Pinellas joins a cohort of more than 450 local health departments across the country that have been distinguished for excellenceContinue Reading

miltefosine

The investigational drug, at least partially credited for saving the life of 16-year-old Sebastian Deleon, the teen that was infected with the 97 percent lethal “brain-eating amoeba”, Naegleria fowleri, miltefosine is on the shelves at the Tampa VA hospital as part of a consignment program between the Orlando-based pharmaceutical company,Continue Reading

With the reports of five additional locally transmitted Zika virus infections in the state of Florida, including the first case in Pinellas County, US Representative for Florida’s 13th Congressional District, David Jolly had some things to say about calling on Congress to return to Washington, D.C. to pass a long-term Zika fundingContinue Reading

Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) and Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL-14) today visited with patients and families of St. Joseph’s Children’s Chronic-Complex to update the progress of the ACE Kids Act in Congress and build momentum on getting it passed this year. The ACE Kids Act is modeled after the “medical home” conceptContinue Reading

The number of sexually transmitted infections reported in Hillsborough County during the first six months of 2016 are being seen at increased numbers compared to the same period in 2015, according to newly published epidemiological data from the Hillsborough County Health Department (HCHD). Chlamydia is the most commonly reported bacterialContinue Reading

St. Petersburg College, which has more than 64,000 enrolled students, became a tobacco-free institution on Aug. 1 The student-driven initiative gained the support of administrators, faculty and student government. The Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County’s (DOH-Pinellas) Tobacco Prevention Program provided technical assistance. “We support tobacco-free policies in schoolsContinue Reading

The U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals for Cancer rankings were released Tuesday and it was amazing news for the Moffitt Cancer Center, now ranked at number six on the list, rising from number 18 in 2015, making the facility the top ranked cancer hospital in the Southeast and in the state ofContinue Reading